Dreams End, India Exit World Cup After Losing Semis
Ravindra Jadeja gave India hope of what would be a remarkable World Cup semi-final win after a stunning top-order collapse left them reeling against New Zealand on Wednesday. India lost key batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for just one run each as they slumped to five for three and were 24 for four when Dinesh Karthik was out for six. But India recovered to 150-6 off 40 overs, needing a further 90 runs off the remaining 60 balls to reach a victory target of 240 at Old Trafford. Jadeja, who had hit well-struck sixes off both all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, was 39 not out and MS Dhoni 24 not out. Earlier, New Zealand added 28 runs in the remaining 23 balls of their innings to finish on 239-8 after rain had stopped play on Tuesday. Ross Taylor, who resumed on 67 not out, top-scored with 74 after Williamson had made a masterly 67 in awkward conditions.
Kudos to Williamson and Taylor who were heavily criticised yesterday (not least by me) for building a defensible total and to the magnificent Boult, Henry, Ferguson and Santner attack for knocking India over. MS Dhoni backed himself to finish as he so often has but left it too late. Perhaps he should have come in a couple of places higher than No7 but India’s middle-order problems, so blatant all match and concealed by Rohit Sharma’s golden form, have undermined them at the last.
